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11/15/2004 11:53:13 PM · #1
Greetings... Here is my 'commissioned by Mom' 2004 Christmas card photo.



Is anyone else doing card photos this year? I have decided to try to sell a few online in the 4x6 version for $0.56 each for use on christmas cards...
11/16/2004 02:56:48 AM · #2
It seems "darker" in multiple senses that the "usual" Christmas card. Does your mom like it?

Are you getting insert cards, or pasting them on the front? And how'd you get to a price of $0.56?
11/16/2004 04:09:09 AM · #3
Like your Christmas card photo a lot. Quite humerous and the angle of Santa's head along with the red material above suggest carrying a heavy bag of toys. Lighting also suggests indoor night lighting. I guess you decided not to include Santa's cap. Very unique Christmas image that should sell well. Good luck with it.

I have thought about doing greeting card photos for other holidays as well, but not sure what program to use. what are you using?
11/16/2004 06:05:04 AM · #4
Do you have a written model release form to go with that? The big guys has got some very good lawyers.....
11/16/2004 08:27:54 AM · #5
I've been having a block as far as this year's card. Last year I had, what I thought, was a very amusing idea. This is one of the test images for it. In the final version I changed the lighting a little and I got the moustache to look right. I was going to pull back and build some sleigh wreckage for the background but ran out of time.



I used card mats from Photographer's Edge. Came out very nice looking. They are easy to use.
11/16/2004 08:42:14 AM · #6
Originally posted by TechnoShroom:

I've been having a block as far as this year's card. Last year I had, what I thought, was a very amusing idea. This is one of the test images for it. In the final version I changed the lighting a little and I got the moustache to look right. I was going to pull back and build some sleigh wreckage for the background but ran out of time.



I used card mats from Photographer's Edge. Came out very nice looking. They are easy to use.


Ha ha! That's a good one! Show it to the kids, tell them Santa died. ;-D
11/16/2004 09:41:40 AM · #7
Originally posted by TechnoShroom:

I used card mats from Photographer's Edge. Came out very nice looking. They are easy to use.

Those look nice -- I've been looking for something like that -- thanks for the link! Looks like you could just use them as quick and easy mats for framing too ...
11/16/2004 09:58:54 AM · #8
wal-mart has many choices at 40 cents each
//www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=174850&path=0%3A5426%3A174850
11/16/2004 10:45:35 AM · #9
Here's the early stages of the one I'm doing. I'm still trying to get a good balance but the final one will have the same feeling.
11/17/2004 11:51:18 PM · #10
Pat

I like this shot it is a great start.

I'm not sure if you saw this or not but there was an article in the last issue of the Digital PhotoPro magazine (November/December) called Studio Magic, A step by step lighting lesson.

It would be perfect on helping you with this shot! They discussed taking several studio shots perfecting the lighting in each area of the shot then creating layer masks and combining the images.

Originally posted by pcody:

Here's the early stages of the one I'm doing. I'm still trying to get a good balance but the final one will have the same feeling.

11/17/2004 11:58:46 PM · #11
I took this shot last year just for the fun of it. Alot of folks (mostly my family) suggested I make a card of it. Never got around to fixing it up enough to be a respectable card. But it's still a favorite of mine. :-)
11/17/2004 11:59:52 PM · #12
This is one I tinkered with today.



I only took about 6 shots in the studio with my "Ghetto Lights" and I liked this the best. Overall I think it is a little soft and the white face and hat did overexpose slightly. I plan on doing more shoots with the same idea and some others later this week.

I guess you could say this is Mrs Frosty (The Snowman).
My wife got her from Avon as a demo for her clients.
I think I'am going to try it with both Mr & Mrs Frosty.

I also plan on doing a shoot with parts of our nativity scene.
It is going to be more work because the boxes are large and it is packed in the attic. Keep in mind this is a Texas attic :) One that you have to almost crawl into :)

Edit:

I shot this with a white background to start and I don't think it will work. I may try Blue or etc next and maybe if I have to crop it to a different background.

Message edited by author 2004-11-18 00:14:05.
11/18/2004 12:23:49 AM · #13
The exposure is good. The focus is odd though. The foremost part of the scarf looks to be in focus while the rest looks like motion blur instead of a DOF issue.
11/18/2004 12:34:57 AM · #14
this is one of the cutest things i have ever seen. :) it completely inspires me to get cracking on christmas cards. awesome shot! :)

Originally posted by jenesis:

I took this shot last year just for the fun of it. Alot of folks (mostly my family) suggested I make a card of it. Never got around to fixing it up enough to be a respectable card. But it's still a favorite of mine. :-)


11/18/2004 07:44:49 AM · #15
Thanks Alecia! I'm actually kicking myself for not trying to reshoot it back then. Now that I've got two little anklebiters around, maybe I'll just have to try it again. It's hard when it's just a spur of the moment thing like that though, to capture that same feeling/vibe.
11/18/2004 10:42:08 AM · #16
I finally finished fiddling around with my card for this year and started printing them out last night. (I print directly onto card stock.)

This is from a flower called Christmas Thistle I found way up in northern California this fall.

Message edited by author 2004-11-18 10:43:15.
11/18/2004 11:24:10 AM · #17
Originally posted by GeneralE:

It seems "darker" in multiple senses that the "usual" Christmas card. Does your mom like it?

Are you getting insert cards, or pasting them on the front? And how'd you get to a price of $0.56?


The price allows me to make $.10 on each sale based on the $0.36 base price here. I don't actually expect to sell any though.

Mom loves the card :)
11/18/2004 11:34:03 AM · #18
Nice card John, I like everything about the photo...it's 'moody' and Christmas memories are certainly mood-provoking.
11/18/2004 11:42:46 AM · #19
I had two plans for Xmas cards this year, neither of which I got around to doing.

One centred around making my own (non photographic cards) with some shaped glass beads I bought from a glass factory in Devon in September when on holiday - stars, xmas trees, etc.

The other was to print out 4x5s from my charity prints collection and mount them on cards and print something inside or on the back to encourage sales. In the end I didnt do that either - I just sent out an email to all the friends who usually buy me Xmas presents and asked them to consider buying a charity print from me instead. They would get to keep the print (or give it to someone else as a present) and the gift to me would be the support for project. Only one has responded so far but it's early days. I hope a few more will follow as I'd much prefer that to more toiletries I won't use, cheap chocolate I won't eat or cushions that don't work with my decor. I am not that fussed about getting presents at the best of times so...

I guess it's going to be another e-card from me this year - based on one of my images taken during the year!
11/18/2004 01:23:43 PM · #20
I'm planning on doing one with the kids on the front. Any ideas what would make a good backdrop? I'm not planning on breaking out the tree or nothing. :)
11/18/2004 03:41:52 PM · #21
Originally posted by jmsetzler:

The price allows me to make $.10 on each sale based on the $0.36 base price here. I don't actually expect to sell any though.

Mom loves the card :)

Well, maybe mine will too. If I can get around to placing an order, you'll sell at least one -- how can I pass up the chance to own a genuine Setzler for under a buck!
11/18/2004 03:45:57 PM · #22
Originally posted by orussell:

I'm planning on doing one with the kids on the front. Any ideas what would make a good backdrop? I'm not planning on breaking out the tree or nothing. :)

My first thought was to take them somewhere and shoot them in front of some palm trees. My second was to shoot them in front of some really gigantic evergreen, and Photoshop-in the decorations.

But, I tend towards humorous approaches in situations like this. If you want a more religiously-oriented image, setting up a creche scene would probably be easiest ...

Message edited by author 2004-11-18 15:46:40.
11/18/2004 03:51:06 PM · #23
Originally posted by orussell:

I'm planning on doing one with the kids on the front. Any ideas what would make a good backdrop? I'm not planning on breaking out the tree or nothing. :)


Fire places are pretty easy to spruce up without dragging out the tree, a couple of stockings maybe a poinsettia or something like that. That's how I got my shot. Didn't want to put a tree up with a curious toddler running around to tear it apart and possibly pull it down. :-) Or even a simple white sheet with the kids wearing some holiday colors. I'm always drawn to outside portraits, maybe a stream or botanical garden where you can find some interesting foliage or something like that.

I like the palm tree idea. That's pretty cute. :-)
11/18/2004 04:07:20 PM · #24
Originally posted by jenesis:

I like the palm tree idea. That's pretty cute. :-)

More accurate too ... I think there are more palms than firs in Bethlehem.
11/18/2004 04:07:48 PM · #25
Thanks. Fireplace would probably work. I may use the old white sheet approach though. And General, not too many palm trees in Newfoundland, evergreens yes. Brrrr. It's too frikken cold here. LOL
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